sect

¹

[ sekt ]

noun

1. a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith; a religious denomination.
2. a group regarded as heretical or as deviating from a generally accepted religious tradition.
3. (in the sociology of religion) a Christian denomination characterized by insistence on strict qualifications for membership, as distinguished from the more inclusive groups called churches.
4. any group, party, or faction united by a specific doctrine or under a doctrinal leader.

-sect

²

1. a combining form with the meaning “cut,” used in the formation of compound words bisect, dissect, exsect .

sect.

³

abbreviation for

1. section.

-sect

¹

combining_form

1. to cut or divide, esp into a specified number of parts

   trisect

sect

²

/ sɛkt /

noun

1. a subdivision of a larger religious group (esp the Christian Church as a whole) the members of which have to some extent diverged from the rest by developing deviating beliefs, practices, etc
2. derogatory.
   1. a schismatic religious body characterized by an attitude of exclusivity in contrast to the more inclusive religious groups called denominations or Churches
   2. a religious group regarded as extreme or heretical
3. a group of people with a common interest, doctrine, etc; faction

sect

1. A religious group, especially one that has separated from a larger group. Sect is often a term of disapproval.

Other Words From

• subsect noun
• under·sect noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sect¹

1300–50; Middle English secte < Latin secta something to follow, pathway, course of conduct, school of thought, probably noun derivative of sectārī to pursue, accompany, wait upon, frequentative of sequī to follow

Origin of sect²

From Latin sectus, past participle of secāre “to cut”

Word History and Origins

Origin of sect¹

from Latin sectus cut, from secāre to cut; see saw ¹

Origin of sect²

C14: from Latin secta faction, following, from the stem of sequī to follow

Example Sentences

It is the most powerful political force in Lebanon and a social movement which serves as a bulwark for Lebanon’s long-discriminated Shia communities against other sects in the country.

From BBC

The civil war, which lasted 15 years and left almost 150,000 people dead, pitted militias linked to Lebanon’s sects against each other.

From BBC

With 18 official sects, Lebanon employs a complex political system in which religious communities share power and government positions and seats in parliament are distributed in rough proportion to the country’s demographics.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s as if criticizing South Africa meant you were anti-white or if criticizing Saudi Arabia means you are anti-Sunni,” he said, referring to that kingdom’s dominant Islamic sect.

From Los Angeles Times

It has also been linked to Al-Arqam, a religious sect that was banned by the Malaysian government in 1994 due to concerns about deviant Islamic teachings.

From BBC

Related Words

• church
• creed
• cult
• denomination
• faction
• faith
• religion